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Hypochlorhydria, low stomach acid, and migraines

What is Hypochlorhydria?

Hypochlorhydria means that you have low stomach acid. In many cases, this can cause you to suffer from poor digestion of various foods. If certain foods are unable to properly get digested, they can find their way into the bloodstream. This is known as “leaky gut” and you can find more information on this condition here. There are numerous issues that can result because of hypochlorhydria but the main problem is a weak intestinal function.

What does stomach acid do?

Hydrochloric acid is responsible for the breakdown of protein by activating an enzyme called pepsin, which ultimately breaks down protein[1]. If you are unable to digest beef, pork, or chicken, it is possible that the gastric acid in your stomach is too low for proper digestion. The undigested proteins have to go somewhere. As the protein molecules escape into the blood stream due to the weak inner walls of your intestinal tract, your body thinks the escaping protein is a sign of an infection and attempts to attack and destroy it. Increased inflammation ensues and additional damage is done to your intestinal tract. Over time, this can result in leaky gut and an increase in autoimmune diseases.

You may want to try these steps if you think you suffer from low stomach acid

If you suffer from migraines, and over time have become more intolerant of foods, chances are that there is something going on in your gut. You will most likely feel bloated, belch excessively, and often pass gas.

Belching, Farting, Burping, Abdominal Pains

These are potential signs of hypochlorhydria, as your body is unable to break down proteins.

A good way to find out whether you have hypochlorhydria without taking an expensive test:

Observe your stool over a period of a week as you vary your diet.

To the extent the stool is loose, oily, with a lighter color such as beige, then this can be a sign that your food is not being properly digested. If, on the other hand, your stool is darker brown and solid, as you vary your diet, then it is usually indicative of a properly functioning digestive system.

Assuming that your stool is the former, then, in consultation with your health practitioner, take a Betaine HCL with Pepsin supplement during each meal. If you feel no reaction, the next day take two tablets with each meal. Continue doing this step-wise until you feel a burning sensation in your stomach and/or you experience heartburn. Then, reduce your intake by one tablet and stay there until the symptoms reappear.

If you continue increasing your dose using the challenge test as directed above, chances are high that you have hypochlorhydria, or low stomach acid, which could be the reason for your migraines. In short this is what happens:

I thought there was a connection between low stomach acid and migraines. I have suffered from both complicated migraines and gastritis since I was a child. There are different migraine triggers for me like fluorescent lights, sunlight, and lack of sleep. The past three weeks I’ve had horrible gastritis, unable to eat, along with migraines with auras. I recently learned gastritis is due to low stomach acid. Right before this last episode I was eating raw broccoli, along with lentil soup and brussle sprouts. All difficult foods to break down. I also learned blood type A people have low stomach acid, in which I am. It all makes sense. Thanks for sharing your story and helpful information!